Lubricating device



. Jan. l2, 1932. wf RICHARDS LBRICATING DEVICE Filed May 17'. 1927Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I WIIIIABCD F,DICHA-BDS, 0F DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 THE SYMINGIION COI- PANY, onNEW Yonx, N, Y., A conronA'rIoN or MARYLAND Lu'mcAme nEvIcn Appnuon meanay 17, 1927. serial no. 192,093.`

The invention relates to journal boxes and has ecial rference tolubricating means emb ied thereinr for constantly applying suitablelubricant to the journal of a car axle or the like.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a novelcellar removably mounted within the bottom of the journal box andcarrying or equipped with special means for applying lubricantconstantly to the journal.

An important object of the invention is to provide an oil or otherlubricant cellar hav` lng roller means therein dipping into the supplyof lubricant and bearing frictionally against the journal fortransferrin lubricant thereto, means being provided ior urging therollers into yielding engagement with the journal for ensuring apositive feed of i vide a lubricating device of this character lubricantthereto. j

Another object of theinvention is to prohaving means for distributin thelubricant along the axle in either direction so that the brass engaging'area will be uniformly lubricated, while waste of material and passagethereof to undesired localities is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a two-part journal boxhaving a hinged lower part within which the cellar is mounted, the meansfor urging the cellar toward the journal serving also to 1preventdisplacement of the cellarl either ongitudinally or laterally withrespect to the box whereby any other securing means will be unnecessary.

A further object of the invention is the provision of lubricatin meansof .this character which may be y assembled prior to its installationwithin the journal boxfso that replacements may be eiiected with themaximum ease andin the minimum time.A

An additional object' is'to provide a device of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, positive in action,.economical in the consumption of 1ubricant, eicient and durable inservice', and a eneral'im rovementin the art.

ith the albove and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionpreferably consists in the arrangement and combination of parts and thedetails of constructionto be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through 'a journalbox-equipped with the invention, the journal itself being shown inelevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 'is an elevation Iof a modified or alternative form oflubricant applying roller.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings, the numeral 1 designatesgenerally a,

journal box here represented as of the twopart type including a top part-or section 2 and a lower part or section 3 intertting therewith attheedges and provided at op posite sides with apertured ears 4; adapted tobe mounted or secured by any suitable detachable means, not shown, theintention being that the lower lpart or section may be swung down fromone side or the other to permit access to the-cellar to be described.The numeral 5 designates a portion of a car axle or the like having ajournal 6 thereon .terminating in `the usual enlargement or ange' 7.A'brass 8 is located above and in engagement with the journal and isheld in place by any ordinary or preferred wedge 9 as is customary. Theupper section or part is disclosed as having an opening normally.covered by a spring-pressed lid 10 of more or less conventional type.

Removably mounted within the lower part or section 3 is the lubricatingdevice which includes a cellar 11 of suitable size and shape to closelynestor fit readily in place and to have limited vertical movement Awithrespect to the journal and the box. This cated between the projections12 and 13 and contacting with the journal 6. While it is conceivablethat a single shaft 15 may be provided carrying two rollers, I havedisclosed the shaft as formed of the two sections arranged in end to endrelation. Practically, it is immaterial which construction is adopted inthis respect.

The rollers 16 disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 are preferably constructedof metallic side pieces or members 17 between which is a central member18 of wood. It should, however, be understood that there is noparticular limitation in this respect as I may employ the alternativeconstruction disclosed in Figure 3 wherein I have illustrated a roller19 of hollow metal construction or at least having hollow ends andprovided in its periphery with perforations 20. In either instance thepurpose of the rollers is to transmit oil or other lubricant in thecellar to the journal.

In order that the rollers may be maintained in constant contact with thejournal, I provide resilient means urging the cellar upwardly. Whilethis might be accomplished in various ways, a preferred construction isto provide pockets or sockets 21 at the end portions of the intermediateex tension 13, these sockets being for the accommodation or reception ofhelical springs 22 seated within corresponding pockets or sockets 23formed in the lower part or section 3 of the journal box. Clearly, thesesprings will operate to urge the entire cellar upwardly so that therollers will engage the journal.

To properly distribute the lubricant and prevent creeping thereor beyondthe outer end of the journal or from the journal onto the axle proper, Iprovide a pad or packing member 24 of suitable yieldable or iexiblematerial such, for instance, as felt or its equivalent, this pad orpacking engaging against the lower portion of the ournal and beingsupported by the cellar. n order to maintain the acking in proper shapelI have found it pre erable to provide a concavo convex retainer orsupport 25 which has its side edges curled or crimped over the edges ofthe packing, as indicated at 26, the retainer resting upon the upperedges of the cellar, these upperedges being preerabl outwardly flangedas at 27 to increase t e bearing area. This packing extends the full lenh of the journal and has its ends downwar ly directed as at 28 and 29 tobear respectively against the enlargement or'flange 7 and the curvedshoulder 30 at the inner end of the journal. The retainer 25 terminatesshort of these points particularly for the reason that it need not benearly as long as the journal and for the additional reason that dangerof contact thereof with the journal will be avoided. The packing and theretainer or support 25 therefor are formed with registering openings 30and 31, respectively, for the passa e of the rollers so as not tointerfere with t e engagement thereof with the journal.

In the use of the device, it is apparent that when the lower part orsection 3 of the box is swung downwardly from either side into openposition the cellar and lubricatin mechanism therein may be readilylinstalle When the lower part or section 3 is subsequently raised to itsoperative position, the springs 22 urging the cellar 11 upwardly willcause the rollers 18 or 19, as the case may be, to engage the journal.The engagement of the` springs within the sockets 21 and 23 performs theadditional function of preventing displacement of the cellar eitherlongitudinally or transversely of the box without the employment of anyother securing means. When the journal is rotated during the travel of acar or the like, the rollers will of course also be rotated and as thedip into the oil or other lubricant within t e cellar they will transferthe oil to the journal in small but sudcient quantities to ensurethorough lubrication which is, moreover, continuous. The packing 24operates by capillary action to distribute lubricant to all portions 'ofthe journal and to prevent creeping of an undesired quantity as aboveexplained, and any repetition of the description of the action istherefore unnecessary. It is believed that the construction, operationand advantages will be readilyapparent to one skilled in the art withoutthe addition of further explanatory matter.

While I have shown and described the preerred embodiment of theinvention and a certain modified forni of roller, it should beunderstood that the disclosure is merely an exempliiication of thegeneral principles involved and that I reservethe right to make all suchchanges and variations in the structure as will not depart from thespirit of the `invention or the scope of the claims hereunto ap ended. A

aving thus described the invention, I claim:

1. Lubricating means for a journal box comprising a cellar adapted tohold lubricant, rollers pivctally mounted inwscaid cellar,capillaryimeans carried by said adapted to bear against an associatedjournal for distributing lubricant, and a support .for

orming 1retaining the ca illary means in con engagement wit the journal,said support and said means having registerin openings for allowingportions of the ro ers to extend therethrough'V into engagement with thejournal.

2. Lubricating means :for a journalv box having an imperforate movablymounted bottom and a journal extending thereinto, comprising a cellarclosely nesting within the ellar and w lubricant, and a sup engagementwith.I the journal, the supp bottom of the box,4 rollers journallysupported b the cellars the cellar and the bottom of the on be t lformedwith corresponding sockets, gp my.' located within said sockets thecellar upwardly for maintainis in engagement with the jours s carried bythe cellar at the 4.

cap ary mean the edges thereof journal near the ends thereof fordistributing port for the capillary e same in conforming ort and saidmeans having registering openings therein for the passage of therollers.

3. Lubricating means for a journal having a journal extending thereinto,com- /prising a cellar located wit in the bottom of the box rollersjournally supported by the cellar, t e cellar and the bottom of the -boxbeing formed with corresponding sockets, springs located within saidsockets and urging the cellar upwardly for maintaining the rollers in engement with the 'ournal, a packin mem r carried by the edges ereof andbearing against the journal near the ends thereof for distributinglubrifcanton the journal, and a support or the packing for retaining thesame in conformmg en agement with the journal, the support and t epacking having registering nings therein for the passage of the ro ers,-the support being ofless len nal wherebfy the packing wi the ends o thesupport, the projecting ends of the packing being extended downwardly todeiine flanges. e

In testimony whereof I ailix m l W'lLLARD l?. RI

means for retaining t ature.

and bearing against the r at the

